Elena MATEI¹, Daniel LUCHES², Vasile EFROS³ & Despina SAGHIN^3
1Department of Human and Economic Geography, Bucharest University, N. Bălcescu Av., No 1, Bucharest, ROMANIA Emails: elena.matei@g.unibuc.ro
²Department of Sociology, Timişoara West University, Pârvan Vasile Av., No. 4, Email: dluches@socio.uvt.ro
³Department of Geography, „Ştefan cel Mare” Suceava University, University Street, No 13, Suceava, Romania. Emails: vasile.efros@atlas.usv.ro, despina.saghin@usv.ro

PREDICTION MODEL ON ASBESTOS USE AS A RISK FACTOR FOR THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM CANCER IN COMMUNITIES FROM NORTHERN ROMANIA


Full text

Although building materials based on asbestos were banned in Romania, some poor communities continue to use them mainly for housing roofs purposes. In this context, the study is focused on several selected settlements from Northern Romania, where population is potentially exposed to the asbestos pollution. The aim of the research is to find out a predictive model of the factors which potent the incidence of respiratory system cancer deaths in the last twenty-five years for an environment characterized by a high presence of mainly old asbestos roofs. Based on field observations and data collection a statistic multiple linear regression method was used in a background of death rate and proportion dying of a specific cause landscape. Results showed that the highest incidence of lung cancer deaths occurred in smoking and material particles pollution including asbestos of workspace conditions associated with asbestos households use. However, the model estimation needs to be continued by next studies based on a measurement of pollution levels, both indoor and outdoor exposure cases. Yet, the identified findings may help to build forecasting of sickness trends in communities asbestos roofing and in urge prevention and imposing co-environmental policy from local to national authorities for the decommissioning of these materials.